[QUOTE=VirginiaClay;771341]Are you saying the USDA told you they will only be able to work with you if you can tell them how many bushels of vegetables and fruits you produce each year? That you have to report your harvest to them in bushels, not in pounds? I can understand them wanting to know how much you produce, but I don't know why they would care what unit of measurement you use. You might want to contact your county extension agent to ask if that's really true.

If they do require you to report in bushels, but it's not easy for you to measure in bushels, there's an easy way around that if you have a scale. There are 53 pounds of regular size/beefsteak/slicing tomatoes in a bushel. So, weigh all your tomatoes as you pick them, keep track of all the totals in a notebook or a spreadsheet, add it all up at the end of the season, and divide the total number of pounds by 53 to get the number of bushels.

If you don't have a scale or don't want to weigh things, get some smaller, standard-size baskets or bags. Peck baskets/bags equal 1/4 bushel. Half-peck equal 1/8 bushel. You can keep your different varieties separate in these smaller containers. Add up the number of pecks and divide by four to get the number of bushels.

Probably there are harvest trays in standard sizes - 1/4 bushel or ten pounds or something like that. Then you could just count the number of harvest trays you fill and convert that to number of bushels. Or really you could use whatever harvest trays or bins you already have. Just weigh one empty, then weigh it full of tomatoes, to figure out how many pounds it holds. Keep track of how many trays you harvest, multiply by the number of pounds in a tray, then divide by 53 to get number of bushels.[/QUOTE]

Yes, there are different programs. The Program I am aiming for is on my Large Tomato Farm that is connected to my Large Home Properties. This Land has never had any Buildings on it that were given to Sheppard Mallory by The Great General Benjamin Butler going uphill from Fort Monroe. It Never had any problems with flooding. The Dirt is Rich with Nutrients, as pure as Native Americans' summer farming before the Building of Fort Monroe. You will feel the Spirit of Sheppard Mallory looking downhill at Fort Monroe.

I have truly outgrown all the functions and need Help. They have been working hard to address all my needs at once. The Program I am aiming for next year is "Cold Winter Storage". For this Program, I will need the Complete "Storage Bushels of all Crops". Even My Cushaw Squash grows on the edge of this Historical Farm Property; down the hill from our Home farming properties that are connected to each other. The Cushaw Squash is an important part of Angel Field Heirloom Tomatoes because this is what the Native Americans fed my Great-Grandfather, on his way from the Broads of North and South Carolina to get to Fourth Monroe to General Benjamin Butler during the Civil War. He was assigned to farm with Shappard Mallory here at my Farming Properties. I really need Cold Storage for Local Farmer's Markets. Especially for Your Town Farmer's Market. They know all of the Winter Vegetables I grow. Fun Fun Fun Amen!

So Far, I have only had one Farming Basket that is as big as my New Bushel Baskets out of 30 other Baskets I have been using over the years. The other need is to have a full Barm to help Process the Tomatoes and Vegetables as I am running out of Room, on another Farming Property of Angel Field Heirloom Tomatoes, Amen!!!

It is good to know that this is an Act of Congress. But we need more of an understanding of all seed companies growing Historical Fruits and Vegetables. This System will take out the Love of Farming and Preserve our Historical Grown Food Systems of Historical Farming techniques. Amen!!

Hello as I pray for everyone in the Path of Tropical Storm Ophelia, Amen!!

I have learned from the Great People here at Tomatoeville to pick all of your "Tomatoes "Fruits and Vegetables before a Strom.

My Tax Accountant is going to love me this year, Amen!!! So far I have learned about the Bushel Basket System and how to look up the prices of Pre-Basket of the Different Fruits I grow for my family that I save my Family Around & 15,000.00 each year on our Food Budget. But, this is very hard work, Amen!! I will need to hire a Secretary and another Farmer to get all this work done to properly record my Bushel Basket Supply per year. So Far, I do not have time to start my Ballet Classes that keep me Strong as a farmer.

So I Pray that everyone has A Garden each year because you are saving your Family so much on Food Amen. Especially those tomatoes you save in your Freeze and those Winter Vegetables.
[B]
Help your Friends and Family Have a Garden each year. [/B]

Before Covid, there was a Historical Place for the Military here in Hampton Called Aberdeen Gardens.
They all had Beautiful Gardens each Year in their backyards. But not so many this year.
I was going to Volunteer this weekend to help Military Homeowners concentrate on their Garden Areas, giving them Free Seeds to help them continue to save on Food each year. But the Tropical Storm Ophelia Canceled those plans. Hopefully, our Mayor can reschedule.

Nice Weather this Next. Maybe My Hill Billy Heirloom Tomatoes can Produce just 6 more Big Tomatoes for me to Eat. My Seed Supply comes first, Amen!! My Hill Billy Tomato was in direct Sunlight this Summer with Temperatures over 100'. I only pulled the I/2 Bushel Basket for Seeds Supply. The Plants stayed Healthy, but slow production of Tomatoes in Heat last Summer.

My Manyel Heirloom Tomatoes from Native Americans were strong producers earlier in our growing season and only slowed down during the 100s temperatures, but are still produce about a 1/2 Bushel each Month. They Produced better than the Hill Billy & and Great White Heirloom Tomatoes.

I just finished the Last Bushel of Teaxas Wild Cherry Tomatoes and the Last Bushel of my Concord Grape that Grow in my Front Yard, Amen!!

I am so happy to learn the Bushel System of all the Fruits and Vegetables. It is also good to learn how much money we save our family each year on groceries. Making my own Grape Juice, Tomato Juice, and Cherry Juice saves a lot of money each year. So Far, My Cherry Tree has produced 2 Buschel. My Concord Grape View Produces 4 Bushels. My Pear Tree Produces over 10 Bushels; which I am planning on giving to Food Banks Next Summer. My Fig Trees can also produce over 8 Bushels.

This Bushel System will Reshape my Farm Supply for next year, Amen!!

My Concord Grapes are finished for this year's season. But My Musadines Grape is doing fine growing around our Heirloom Tomato Farm up 14-18 feet Tall. They provided some Shade for my Heirloom Tomatoes during the 100-degree weather. All Heirloom Tomato Plants growing around the Musadine Grape Vines Produced "OK Yeilds of Tomatoes" but later suffered Heat Stress causing me to pull the Plants at the end of the Summer. I Pray that I will get 2 Bushel of Mucadine today because Concord & Mucadines Grapes are rich in polyphenols, which have the potential to promote brain function. My Grandkids love my Grape Juices each year and it is good to learn how many Bushels of Grape My Farming Property Produces. I sent out a lot of Love to all the Students who study Agriculture. All Farmers in America must Learn the "Bushel Basket System" to understand the Natural Wealth of your Farm each Year.

I made the Best Chili today from my Frozen Tomatoes, from last Summer.
I Used Ground Beef, Oinions, and Iris Potatoes I grew here at Angel Field Heirloom Tomatoes.
I used Black Beans Called "Frijokes Negros" from the Store.

Please tell me where to get Black Beans Seeds called "Frijokes Negros" if they are Heirloom Historical Beans? My Husband Loved them Amen!!

[QUOTE=MrsJustice;771451]I made the Best Chili today from my Frozen Tomatoes, from last Summer.
I Used Ground Beef, Oinions, and Iris Potatoes I grew here at Angel Field Heirloom Tomatoes.
I used Black Beans Called "Frijokes Negros" from the Store.

Please tell me where to get Black Beans Seeds called "Frijokes Negros" if they are Heirloom Historical Beans? My Husband Loved them Amen!![/QUOTE]


Hi Mrs. Justice


You can get them here

[URL]https://www.vermontbean.com/product/V01253/203[/URL]


Or you could buy some dry beans at the store and see if they will germinate for you.


Although they now grow throughout the world, black turtle beans are native to the Americas.
These beans play a prominent role in Mexican cuisine and are known by the Spanish term ‘frijoles negros.’


[URL]https://www.nutritionadvance.com/black-turtle-beans-nutrition/[/URL]

Thank you, Seaeagle

I am going to buy 2 packs and gladly pay for the Shipping. Amen!!

I have good information for all of the Native Americans who helped me collect your Farming Secrets given to my Great-grandfather and the Contraband Slaves of Fort Monroe.

The USDA has realized your Farming Secrets are needed for this Climate Change and is willing to help your Trilbes Farmers with the needed help, Amen!!
Please Read this News from Virginia USDA [url]https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/10/20/usda-announces-2024-tribal-scholarships-and-fellowships?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery[/url]

[QUOTE=seaeagle;771453]Hi Mrs. Justice


You can get them here

[URL]https://www.vermontbean.com/product/V01253/203[/URL]


Or you could buy some dry beans at the store and see if they will germinate for you.


Although they now grow throughout the world, black turtle beans are native to the Americas.
These beans play a prominent role in Mexican cuisine and are known by the Spanish term ‘frijoles negros.’


[URL]https://www.nutritionadvance.com/black-turtle-beans-nutrition/[/URL][/QUOTE]

Is it possible that all these Black Beans are the Same?

I found my "Cherokee Trail of Tears Black Beans" that I forgot to Grow this year from the late Dr. John Wyche of Oklahoma. Someone here gave me these Seeds

[QUOTE=MrsJustice;771477]Is it possible that all these Black Beans are the Same?

I found my "Cherokee Trail of Tears Black Beans" that I forgot to Grow this year from the late Dr. John Wyche of Oklahoma. Someone here gave me these Seeds[/QUOTE]


They are not the same as the Cherokee Black is a pole bean and the Black Turtle bean is a bush to half runner. They all were originally from Latin America.



Here is a link to many vendors who sell Cherokee


[url]https://duckduckgo.com/?q=trail+of+tears++black+beans&t=ffab&ia=web[/url]

Thank you for clearing that up for me, Amen!!
I am going to make my Order for the Blak Turtle Bean Seeds now.
They make the Best Chili in America.

I just came in from Cold Temperatures putting Covers over my many crops just to be on the Safe side, Amen!!

Just your Area & State Temperatures @ [url]https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/va.php?x=2[/url]

Hello From Farmer Joyce Beggs
I found this article for Fred Hemple to learn from, Amen!!

[url]https://growingformarket.com/articles/breeding-tomatoes-farm-practical-selection-advice[/url]